7663874

Electronic Apparatus

PublishedFebruary 16, 2010
Assigneenot available in USPTO data we have
Technical Abstract

Patent Claims
8 claims

Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.

1

1. An electronic apparatus comprising: a first enclosure; a second enclosure coupled to the first enclosure for relative rotation around a rotation axis intersecting with a surface of the first enclosure, the second enclosure rotating around the rotation axis in a first direction and a second direction, opposite to the first direction, from a reference attitude; a rotation restriction mechanism configured to terminate rotation of the second enclosure in the first direction from the reference attitude at a first rotation angle equal to at least 180 degrees from the reference attitude, thereby establishing a first attitude of the second enclosure, the rotation restriction mechanism being configured to terminate the rotation of the second enclosure in the second direction from the reference attitude at a second rotation angle equal to at least 180 degrees from the reference attitude, thereby establishing a second attitude of the second enclosure; an element configured to rotate around the rotation axis along with the second enclosure; a sensor configured to output a first signal in response to detection of action of the element in the first direction and a second signal in response to detection of action of the element in the second direction; and a displaying unit configured to indicate one of the first direction and the second direction in response to the first signal when the second enclosure takes the first attitude, the displaying unit configured to indicate another of the first direction and the second direction in response to the second signal when the second enclosure takes the second attitude.

2

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first rotation angle is set equal to the second rotation angle.

3

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the first rotation angle and the second rotation angle are set at 180 degrees.

4

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second enclosure is coupled to the first enclosure for relative rotation around a horizontal axis set parallel to the surface of the first enclosure.

5

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor includes a contact piece disposed on a circular orbit of the element when the contact piece takes a normal attitude, the contact piece being configured to swing in a normal direction through a contact of the element resulting from a rotation of the second enclosure in the first direction, the contact piece being configured to swing in a reverse direction opposite to the normal direction through a contact of the element resulting from a rotation of the second enclosure in the second direction.

6

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the contact piece starts swinging in the normal direction at a predetermined angle smaller than the first rotation angle.

7

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the contact piece starts swinging in the reverse direction at a predetermined angle smaller than the second rotation angle.

8

8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein: the element is a magnet rotating around the rotation axis along with the second enclosure; and the sensor including first and second magnetic sensors incorporated in the first enclosure, the first and second magnetic sensors arranged along a movement path of the magnet at a predetermined interval.

Patent Metadata

Filing Date

Unknown

Publication Date

February 16, 2010

Inventors

Masahiko Hattori
Masahiko Kyouzuka
Asao Shimazaki
Daisuke Yamagishi

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Cite as: Patentable. “ELECTRONIC APPARATUS” (7663874). https://patentable.app/patents/7663874

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